to block disinheritance, redress against Family System, Friends vs Foes

Trevor Todd and Judith Milliken of British Columbia. They are advocates for those adult children facing disinheritance and they see such disinheritance as the culmiation of abuse. They use the favorable laws in BC, the Wills Variation Act, to do this, and they defend the act.

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Claims under the Wills Variation Act by Adult Children

In our practice, claims frequently involve the children of abusive and alcoholic parents, generally fathers. We hear a recurring theme a father coming home drunk after work, beating his wife and children, and generally terrorizing the family on an ongoing basis. Many of these children leave home at very early ages, and quite understandably bear a strong resentment against the abusive parent. Some become substance abusers themselves. At best, they remain emotionally damaged individuals.

Naturally such abusive parents generally have little insight as to the lifelong effects of their mistreatment. Thus the abuser, when preparing his or her will, will typically disinherit the children on the basis of estrangement. The handling lawyer or notary often just accepts this statement as the truth of the matter and makes little enquiry into the history of the estrangement.

Mark Accettura of Michigan. Yes, the laws are different in the US. But Accettura certainly has a position. He understands senility. But he says that disinheritance is rare, and sees attacks on wills as indicative of clinical mental illness. He doesn't even talk about child abuse. But he does talk about Roman Catholic Cannon Law.

He is very concerned about Elder Abuse and Undue Influence and seems to see will contests as being examples of such.

With both of these sites you would have to really read them to get a sense of where the people are comming from. Yes, there are legal differences. But no, these do not account for the differences in perspective.